WORCESTER, Mass. – Five players recorded career-high stat totals including sophomore outside hitter
Emma Sorensen as the Holy Cross volleyball team rallied from a 2-1 match deficit to beat Patriot League foe Lafayette 3-2 Friday in the Kirby Sports Center.
The win moved the Crusaders to 7-10 on the year and 1-4 in league action while the Leopards lost for the sixth time in a row and fell to 6-9, 0-5 PL.
Sorensen posted 28 kills in the match off a whopping 74 attack attempts hitting .270 with a personal-best four aces for Holy Cross. Her 28 kills were a Patriot League single-match high in 2026. Freshman setter
Drew Flanagan dished out a personal-best 45 assists with a career-high 17 digs for her first ever double-double. Classmate, freshman right side
Kat Teepe posted a personal-high 10 digs as well.
Defensive specialists, sophomores
Elizabeth Hall (25 digs) and
Savannah Baron (17 digs) established new bests in digs. Hall also recorded a career-high three aces.
Lafayette was led by Auma Mbeche-Odhiambo's 19 kill and 27 dig double-double.
SET SCORES:
Crusaders 3, Leopards 1 (25-21, 20-25, 22-25, 25-21, 16-14)
HOW IT HAPPENED:Â
- Four straight from the Leopards had them in the lead 8-4 early in the first set. The Crusaders countered with five in a row capped off by a sophomore outside hitter KK Green kill to regain the slim edge at 9-8. A Crusader attack miscue put Lafayette back in the lead at 16-14. Sorensen scored five straight markers, three by aces and two kills to push her team back ahead 19-16. The Leopards tied the set 21 all, but Holy Cross earned the final four points for the set win.
- Junior middle blocker Lacey Murphy and Flanagan skied up for a block making the score 9-4 Crusaders in the second set. Another dual block from sophomore middle blocker Kyla Harris and Flanagan established a six point, 18-12 lead. As 13-2 set closing run from the Leopards tied the match at 1-1.
- Holy Cross led the third set, 10-3 getting seven in a row including two Lacey Murphy kills. The lead expanded to nine 14-5 after a Sorensen kill. The Leopards slowly closed the game with a 7-1 burst to trail by three, 15-12. Down five, 19-14 they ended the set on an 11-3 run to take a 2-1 match lead.
- In the fourth set, the Crusaders were behind 10-7 until five in a row capped off by a senior outside hitter Georgia Murphy ace put them in the lead at 12-10. The teams traded possessions and points until the hosts were down one 21-20 late. Back-to-back kills from Sorensen had Holy Cross in the lead at 23-20. Sophomore middle blocker Isa Glover produced the final two points via kill as the match was tied 2-2 and went to a fifth set.
- The Leopards led 10-9 in the late stages of the fifth and final set. A pair of kills from Sorensen and aces from Hall moved them in the lead at 13-10. Lafayette came even with the Crusaders using three straight making it 13 all. Glover put Holy Cross in the brink of a five set win until Lafayette again tied the score. Teepe and Glover blocked an attempt and Hall found Teepe for the final kill and the 16-14 fifth set win.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- Sorensen needs nine more kills to reach 500 for her career.
- Holy Cross had 13 aces which was their second most during a match in 2026.
- Hall has three 20+ dig matches in 2026 and five in her career.
UP NEXT:
- The Crusaders wrap up their road weekend when they battle Lehigh (10-3, 3-2 PL) on Saturday, Oct. 3.
- First serve is slated for 4 p.m.
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